Musharraf warned Indian PM of 'unconventional warfare'

December 31 2002

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf revealed today he warned Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee earlier this year that Pakistan could step beyond conventional warfare if it had to defend its territory.

Musharraf, addressing an army corps reunion in Karachi, did not mention the threat of nuclear weapons but said he was prepared to take severe measures at the height of crisis between the nuclear-armed arch rivals.

"In my meetings with various world leaders, I conveyed my personal message to Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee that the moment Indian forces cross the line of control and the international border, then they should not expect a conventional war from Pakistan."

Tensions between the neighbours escalated dramatically after a deadly attack on the Indian parliament on December 13 which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-backed militants. ");document.write("

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India and Pakistan deployed nearly a million troops to their common borders earlier this year, and relations reached crisis level.

"There were threats on the border after September 11 and particularly after the Indian troops were sent to the borders, but now all threats are over," he said.

"We have defeated our enemy without going into war," he added.

India has announced it has completed its pullback from the temporary forward positions along the mutually recognised border with Pakistan, but that extra troops remain in bitterly disputed Kashmir, the Himalayan state claimed by both countries and divided by a line of control.

"The enemy has withdrawn its forces and we are also withdrawing ours," Musharraf said.

In October, Musharraf said Pakistan "won't be the one to start a war" over the Kashmir region.

"But if they (India) start a war, we will defend ourselves vigorously and with determination," he said at the time.